Benin: Olivier Verdon banned from selection for six months by the FBF.

The Benin Football Federation (FBF) issued a firm six-month suspension against central defender Olivier Verdon on June 18, 2026, depriving him of any call-ups and participation in the national teams’ activities during this period, according to a statement signed by Secretary General Claude Paqui.

The sanction is accompanied by a further six-month suspended sentence. The FBF cites “multiple breaches of disciplinary rules, internal operating procedures, respect for coaching directives, and obligations of communal living” without specifying the facts that led to the procedure, reserving the right to not disclose further details about the circumstances surrounding the decision.

The statement clarifies that the sanction was pronounced “after gathering observations from the interested party” at the conclusion of a procedure deemed regular. Verdon has a 30-day adjustment period before the ban on call-ups takes effect, according to the text.

A player recently reintegrated into the group

At 30 years old, born in Clamart, France to a Beninese mother, Olivier Verdon plays as a central defender for Ludogorets Razgrad, a Bulgarian club with which he is contracted until June 2027. He has made 29 appearances with the Beninese Cheetahs, the team with which he participated in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 in Morocco.

The sanction comes a few weeks after the release on May 19, 2026, of the list by coach Gernot Rohr for the FIFA window in June 2026, which included Verdon among the defenders selected for friendly matches in Morocco against the Central African Republic and Togo. The FBF did not specify whether the suspension takes effect from this window or a later date.

The defender had already been excluded from the gatherings in November 2024 and March 2025. In March 2025, Gernot Rohr publicly confirmed that Verdon was “sanctioned” for breaches of his communication obligations with the technical staff, while expressing hope for his reintegration following discussions with the Federation.

A procedure distinct from previous incidents

The FBF emphasized that the decision aimed to “preserve the authority of the technical staff, the cohesion of the group, equal treatment among all players as well as the values of discipline, responsibility, and exemplary behavior.” The institution indicated that it would not disclose the specific facts leading to the sanction, citing the protection of the institution’s interests, the national team, and the individuals involved.

The firm six-month suspension covers at minimum the FIFA window of September-October 2026, the first of three windows for the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027, in which Benin is participating in Group F. If the suspended sentence were to be activated, the ban could extend until the second window in November 2026.

Benin will play its qualifying matches for the CAN 2027 between September 2026 and March 2027.